Project 2: Lessons learned

January 14, 2011

This morning I finally had a chance to get photos with the baby in the wraps I made for her this week. Many thanks to Heather for suggesting the baby k’tan because it was super easy to sew up using fabric I already had on hand, and as you can see from the photos above it holds her much more securely. The ring sling, on the other hand, is like baby sleep magic. She fell asleep in it not 15 minutes after the above photo was taken. I can see how the ring sling will be more useful as she gets old enough to sit on my hip. For now I am happy enough to use it for nap time.

What did I learn this week?

– Sewing is fun, but I can see how very far I would need to go to be any good at it. There is a whole world of knowledge out there that I have barely glimpsed in my couple of sewing projects. This seems like the sort of skill that would be best started at an early age, like playing an instrument or speaking a foreign language.

– Fabric stores are like a foreign country to me. I should probably visit them more often just to get an idea of the sorts of items that are out there. I’ve paid decent money for things like baby blankets for gifts, but this week I saw the exact same fabric on a quick walk through the fabric store. I could have made personalized gifts for less money!

– Sewing with friends is more fun than sewing alone.

– This blog could easily become about 50 sewing projects (or 50 woodworking projects). There is so much to learn and do! I’ll try not to do that to myself or to you because I’m most interested in having a wide variety of experiences, but the temptation is still there.

We’ll have one more sewing project next week but I’ll also get to pull out the hot glue gun. This one could get tricky!

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6 comments

Off to a great start! I love the sweater pillow and also all the thought you put into the meaning of the project you made then and now. The baby slings are also adorable (and are well accessorized by the baby!)

I walked around Whole Foods with Annabelle in the k’tan today, and yes, it is quite secure — easier on the back for longer periods, too. There are two small problems with baby wearing in general — making sure you don’t bump them on anything, and not dropping food on them.

I agree learning to sew would have been SOOO much easier as a kid. It’s so frustrating to spend $20 on fabric and notions and then not have something you want to wear at the end! Lately, I’ve completely given up on patterns from the store and just started making stuff from basic measurements. Craft Gossip has a lot of links, and I’ve been watching how-to videos and things like that. Somehow the whole endeavor is less intimidating for me when I don’t have to cut out flimsy tissue paper and can just cut out fabric.

I’ve also been staying away from clothes for me for the moment because I have discovered this whole world of customizable fabric storage and I love all things organizational.

I love the idea for this blog! I look forward to following your journey.

Oh yea! And sometimes getting the fabric from the store is NOT cheaper. My next project is a roll-up napping bed for Pascha and I’m just going to hunt down a king size flannel blanket at a department store and cut it up. I know I can find one for $20, and it’ll even have leftovers. With fabric at $6/yd on sale/clearance up here, I know I’ll be saving.

But go look at the brocades and tell me you don’t just want to find SOMETHING to make out of one of them.